Tubular container for articles of merchandise



Dec. 22, 1953 R. E. PAIGE 2,663,489

' TUBULAR CONTAINER FOR ARTICLES OF MERCHANDISE Filed Nov. 28, 1947 VENTOR.

RICHARD PAIGE Patented Dec. 22, i953 TUBULAR CONTAINER FOR ARTICLES OF MERCHANDISE chard E.- Pai e Yor N- Applica n o em 94 Seria 8 ,419 4 Claims. Cl. 229*37) My present invention relates generally to containers, and has particular reference to containers composed of bendable sheet material, such as cellulose acetate or the like.

The invention is primarily directed toward the retail packaging of relatively small articles of merchandise, but is not restricted to the packaging of any particular article, and those skilled in the art will readily appreciate its applicability to a variety of difierent uses.

It is a general object of the invention to provide an improved and inexpensive container whose structure is of such character that cellulose acetate or the like may be more readily employed as the basic sheet material of which it is composed. For numerous reasons, generally'well known, cellulose acetate in sheet form is a desirable material for the packaging of retail commodities, but it has a number of shortcomings, notably its tendency to tear, which present difficulties when ordinary box-structure techniques are resorted to. The present invention not only obviates these difiiculties but achieves certain new advantages. However, its usefulness is not limited to cellulose acetate, and its advantages are equally attainable when other relatively still and bendable sheet materials, such as cardboard, are used.

The container to which the invention is directed is of the type in which a sheet material is bent or rolled upon itself to define an enclosure which is generally tubular in shape. One of the more particular objects of the invention is to provide a novel expedient for forming an integral end wall of such a tube without recourse to the usual flaps whose shapes and modes of interengagement necessarily produce relatively sharp corners which are not well suited to the employment of a readily tearable material such as cellulose acetate.

Another object is to provide an improved container in which two opposed tubular sections, each having a transverse closure at one-end and open at the other, and each composed of thin sheet material such as cellulose acetate, are feasibly connectable in separable telescopic fashion. It is a particular feature of the invention to provide a means for facilitating the telescopic connection of two such sections, notwithstanding the difiiculty that would ordinarily be encountered in telescoping two sections composed of material of the kind mentioned and almost identical in size.

Other objects of the invention relate tothe provision of a container or container section 2 which is simple and inexpensive to manufacture, which may be wholly transparent if transpa' ency is desired, which is staunch and former taining, and which has an unusual andhighly. attractive external appearance.

I achieve the foregoing objectives and advan:

tages, and such other objects and advantages as may hereinafter appear or be pointed out; in the manner illustratively exemplifiedin'the ace, companying drawings, in which! Figure 1 is a perspective view of a container constructed in accordance with the presentinvention, shown in enclosing relation to snare ticle of merchandise;

Figure 2 is a plan view of the blank of which one of the container sections is composed;

Figure 3 is a perspective view of an endlpore tion of the container section in apartiallyecome pleted condition;

Figure 4 is a cross-sectional view taken .Sllb: stantially along the line 4-4 of Figure 1;

Figures 5 and 5A are diagrammatic views..,i1-=. lustrating one of the features of the invention whereby telescopic connection of two container. sections is achieved; and

Figures 6 and 7 are perspective end views-of. containers or container sections of slightlymod-i ified contours.

Merely by way of illustration, I have chosen herein to depict and describe a container, adapt ed to accommodate an article of merchandise such as a hair brush. This articleis repree. sented, in Figure 1, by dot-and-dashlines. It. is snugly accommodated within a container Which is substantially tubular in shape and. composed of two telescopically-united sections l0 and II each of which is permanently closed. at its end.

Certain features of the invention are 11-1115: trated in Figures 2, 3 and 4, which are directed to the container section ID of Figure 1. An in-. itially fiat blank (Figure 2) is providedwith spaced fold lines l2 which define a medial area or section 13 between them and margins; and I5 beyond them. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention, the fold lines 12 aresubstam tially parallel to each other and to theside ed es of the blank, and the end edge [6 of the blank, is perpendicular thereto. Also, it is to. be. JQted that the rectangular margin portion 14 iscon: siderably narrower than the margin I 5, althopgh this relationship of the partsis not essent al;

Adjacent the edge l6 and parallel theretg. a fold line 35. At the end .of the. blankzcppcr. site the edge Hi, the blank. isprovlded with a pair of substantially U-shaped creases l1. One end of each crease is coincident with the end l8 of the corresponding fold line l2; the opposite ends of the creases H are coincident (at IS) with the ends of a transverse fold 20. Each crease ll bounds a substantially triangular area 2| which is in the nature of a Web arranged alongside a central tongue 22 which may 'be said to extend longitudinally from the medial area 13. It should be noted that the tongue 22 is of reduced Width relative to the medial area l3. At its end, the tongue or portion 22 is provided with the attachment fiap 23.

As hereinbefore indicated, the blank may be formed of any suitable bendable sheet material, e. g., cellulose acetate in sheet form. In forming the container, the blank is bent or rolled upon itself, so as to bring the margins on sections is and 15 into overlapping relationship. Where these margins have the proportions indicated, the overlap is of such an extent that the outer edge of the margin I comes into alignment with the opposite fold line i2. These overlapping margins 14 and [5 thus define a fiat wall on the tube which is formed, and where the parts are proportioned as shown, this fiat wall has a width equal to the width of the margin i5. In this overlapping relationship, the margins IA and 15 are secured together, preferably by suitable adhesive means, by heat treatment or in any other desired manner.

The tongue or extension 22 is then bent transversely to define an end wall for the tube, and during this bending action, the webs- 2! are deflected inwardly (Figure 3) so that when the fiap 23 is attached to the flat wall previously referred to, the webs 2| will lie in re-entrant positions within the tube. The end edge of the tongue '22 i. e., the length of the attachment flap 23, is substantially equal to the width of the flat wall at the point of attachment. As a result, the ends l8, is of each crease H are brought together when the structure is complete. Each crease then conforms substantially to a more or less oval shape, with a pointed end. This is shown most clearly in Figures 1, 6 and '7. The free edge 25 of each web 2| is so shaped that it will lie closely adjacent to the flat wall of the tube when the web is in the re-entrant position referred to. Each of these re-entrant portions of the tube wall may be said to conform substantially to the surface of an outwardly-opening cone or cone-like shape.

In the resultant structure, the medial area I3 of the original blank defines the side and top walls of a tube having a flat bottom wall. In crosssection, these side and top walls are substantially dome-shaped, as shown most clearly in Figure 4. This dome need not necessarily have the shape or proportions shown in Figure 4. By judicious arrangements of the fold lines l2,'and of the curvature of the creases H, the resultant tube may have varying cross-sectional contours. In each case, however, it is to be observed that the end wall of the tube constitutes an'integral part of the medial area i3, while the inturned webs 2| occupy the spaces at the corners. By virtue of the fact that each web is bounded by a substantially U-shaped crease, in the manner shown and described, the material is not subjected at any point to stresses which might lead to tearing. Quite to the contrary, the end struc* ture is staunch and firm, and capable of withstanding considerable wear and tear. Examples "of modifications in contours are illustrated most clearly in Figures 6 and 7. In Figure 6, the crease 25 bounding the web 2 5 is of such shape that there are relatively straight portions joined by curves. Where such a shape is resorted to, it is advantageous to provide the tongue 2'! with a transverse fold line 23, and to provide the medial area 29 with fold lines The provision of the fold lines 23 and 3G is optional, and such lines may be provided, if desired, to correspond with variations in the shape of the crease 25, as shown.

In Figure '7, the crease 3! is of such shape that the resultant inturned web 32 is more truly conical in shape. This type of crease produces a structure which is well rounded both transversely and longitudinally, so far as the side, top and end walls of the tube-are concerned.

When the container is set up the webs enclose spaces which are open to the exterior of the container. In the box of Figures 1, 2, and- 3 the junctions of the webs with the sides present outside edges that are straight and the junc- I tions of the webs with the tongue or closed end present outside edges which are curved. The edges are separated when the container is completed and the curved outside edges at said junctions give the end a bulging appearance.

In the box of Figure 6 the outside edges at the junctions of the webs and the sides of the container and the closed end are lines which are made up of two short lengths, each extending in a different direction, So as to make an angle between them; the angles at each web facing each other. In Figure 7 the container is shown with the edges atthe junctions of the webs with the sides and the closed end or" the container having the shape of continuous curves. The containers of both Figures 6 and '7 therefore bulge at the ends and the sides also.

The section i 5 (Figure 1) is constructed in substantially the same way, and to illustrate one of the features of the invention, it may be assumed that the reference numerals it and H in Figures 5 and 6A represent the open ends of the sections It and ii of Figure 1. For the sake of simplicity, the extra ply along the flat wall has not been shown in these figures. It will be observed (Figure 5) that the open ends of the sections it and ii have almost the same size,

yet one is slightly smaller than the other so that a telescopic interengagement is possible. Under ordinary circumstances, it would be diificult to telescope one section within the other, since the size difference amounts to onlya few thousandths of an inch. I have found, however, that a telescopicconnection can be readily achieved in a surprisingly simple manner by very slightly flaring one of the open ends outwardly, and very slightly tapering the other one inwardly. This is achieved by creasing each blank along the line corresponding to the line fiiishown in Figure 2, to impart a slightoutward flare in one case, a slight inward taper in the other. This I have attempted to depict in Figures 5 and 5A, wherein it will be observed that the edge'of the open end I l is slightly flared outwardly as represented at 33, while the opposite edge of the open end it! is slightly flared inwardly as shown at 34. This minute flaring is sufficient to permit one of the sections to be readily telescoped into the other, as depicted in Figure 5A, and a highly desirable snug fitting is thus achieved. Accordingly, the commodity such as the hair brush depicted in Figure 1, is inserted into one of the sections [0,11 and when the other section is telescopically applied thereto, a complete container is provided which encloses the commodity in a highly efiective manner. In this condition, the packaged article may be shipped and stored, being always in readiness for display upon a store counter or the like. The package may be handled to inspect the enveloped commodity, and when it is ultimately desired to remove the article, it is relatively simple thing to pull the sections Hi and H apart. They may then be retained for future housing of the article, or to serve as a container for other things; but the container is of such simplicity and low cost that the two parts may be discarded, if desired, after the packaged article has been removed.

It will readily be understood that the feature depicted in Figures 5 and 5A is not necessarily dependent upon an end structure as shown in the other figures. However, where cellulose acetate is employed as the basic sheet material, the conjoint use of the end structure and of the telescopic connection of the two tubular sections results in the production of a uniquely attractive container of unusual strength, efficiency, and pleasing appearance.

It will be noted from Figure 4 that the end edges 24 of the webs 2! do not necessarily contact snugly with the flat bottom wall of the tube. As a result, apertures are formed through which air may flow freely to the interior of the container. This is desirable in avoiding condensation on the interior, and in facilitating the connection and disconnection of the snugly-fitting telescoped sections.

As mentioned, the container may be made of cardboard or other sheet material, if desired, and need not necessarily be transparent. In general, many of the details herein described and illustrated may obviously be modified by those skilled in the art without necessarily departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as expressed in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention and illustrated its use, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A container having a body with a bottom and a top, sides connecting the bottom to the top, an extension uniting adjacent extremities of the top and bottom, and webs joining the extension to the sides, said webs being within the container and having free edges adjacent the interior surface of the bottom, said extension and said sides having outside edges at each junction thereof with said webs, said outside edges being spaced apart along their lengths and enclosing spaces open to the exterior of the container between them.

2. A container having a body with a bottom and a top, sides connecting the bottom to the top, an extension uniting adjacent extremities of the top and bottom, and webs joining the extension to the sides, said webs being within the container and having free edges adjacent the interior sur face of the bottom, said extension and said sides having outside edges at each junction thereof with said webs, said outside edges being spaced apart along their lengths and enclosing spaces open to the exterior of the container between them, said outside edges on said extension being curved away from the outside edges on the sides and giving a bulging effect to said extension.

3. A container having a body with a bottom and a top, sides connecting the bottom to the top, an extension uniting adjacent extremities of the top and bottom, and webs joining the extension to the sides, said webs being Within the container and having free edges adjacent the interior surface of the bottom, said extension and said sides having outside edges at each junction thereof with said webs, said outside edges being spaced apart along their lengths and enclosing spaces open to the exterior of the container between them, said outside edges at each junction having the form of lines extending in different directions and connected to enclose an angle between said lines, said angles facing each other at each of said webs, and giving a bulging effect to said sides and said extension.

4. A container having a body with a bottom and a top, sides connecting the bottom to the top, an extension uniting adjacent extremities of the top and bottom, and webs joining the extension to the sides, said webs being within the container and having free edges adjacent the interior surface of the bottom, said extension and said sides having outside edges at each junction thereof with said webs,'said outside edges being spaced apart along their lengths and enclosing spaces open to the exterior of the container between them, said outside edges at each junction presenting a continuous curve on both the sides and the extension and giving a bulging efiect to said extension and said sides.

RICHARD E. PAIGE.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED- STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 726,205 Tuttle et a1. Apr. 21, 1903 1,754,839 Smith Apr. 15, 1930 1,789,699 Durham Jan. 20, 1931 2,296,951 Rosen et a1. Sept. 29, 1942 2,368,534 Forrer Jan. 30, 1945 2,521,184 Paige Sept. 5, 1950 

